65% of users still re-use passwords across accounts: Report
IANS
Sep 23, 2021 10:40
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New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) While 92 per cent of people know that using the same password or a variation is a risk, 65 per cent still re-use passwords across accounts, drastically increasing the risks to their sensitive information, a report said on Thursday.
According to a report by LogMeIn, consumers have a solid understanding of proper password security and the actions necessary to minimise risk, but they still pick and choose re-used information.
"Strong cybersecurity habits are more important than ever this year, given the sheer volume of time individuals have spent online in the last 18 months and the corresponding spike in cyber-attacks," the company said in a statement.
"Yet the survey revealed that despite 71 per cent of people working wholly or partly remote and 70 per cent spending more time online for personal entertainment during the pandemic, people were still exhibiting poor password behaviour," it added.
Most data breaches -- a staggering 85 per cent -- involved a human element through phishing or human error, according to the 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report and the need for password security remains critical as attacks rise.
According to the survey, over the past year, 47 per cent of respondents did not change their online security habits while working remotely and 44 per cent admitted to sharing sensitive information and passwords for professional accounts while working remotely.
Meaning almost half of employees engage in risky password behaviour while working remotely, which is causing IT admins to rethink security strategies in a hybrid work environment.
The survey, which included over 3,500 working professionals globally, including India, indicated that 68 per cent of respondents would create stronger passwords for financial accounts, only 32 per cent noted they would create strong passwords for work-related accounts.
